Another Really Young Golf Girl Hits a Hole-in-One

No, not exactly. This talented ten year old hit two...in the same round at a Hong Kong golf course recently.

Tiana Lau aced the second and the seventh at the beautiful Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club on Monday. Her Mom was caddying which must have made it extra special. Congratulations Tiana on your first...and second...hole-in-one.

Time to Save on my Fave Golf Gear

Ultra-cool, ultra-cute, ultra-colorful... I've posted myriad times about the Bright Golf Company, I just love them! And for a limited time, in honor of the holidays, they're offering free worldwide shipping on all their awesome products!

They're based in the UK and they offer amazing items from the world's most unique manufacturers...like the graphical club covers from Japan's Como Come and a delicious rainbow of grips from IOmic. Basically, this is an opportunity for people here in the US to try the coolest golf accessories with no international shipping fees. There's no code required, the offer is good until Dec 14th and all purchases before then will be delivered in time for Xmas. So go for it. Those you gift will be glad you did. And that includes yourself.

An Awesome New Boutique for Golf Girls

Yes, just in time for the holidays, here's a truly unique new golf boutique. It's a new part of Women on Course, a golf lifestyle site that organizes events and gatherings across the country to promote the sport and lifestyle of golf among women.

The store features products from over 30 vendors. Cute, cool products. There's golf equipment, apparel and accessories of course, but you'll also find cards and stationery with golf imagery as well as home decor and art. I'd call it one stop shopping for the Golf Girls on your list. Makes it easy doesn't it? OK, now go shop!

Golf Girls and Golf Gals Agree on lots of Things

I was going to post on the Omega World Cup, as it featured some of my favorite golfers...but it turns out I don't have to; Golf Gal did it for me. Check out her post on this terrific tournament. Turns out she's a big fan of team play, like I am, and she's got similar taste in guys golfers too. Raphael Jacquelin, Trevor Immelman, Ian Poulter...you know the type, they're the cute quirky ones.

On a more troubling note, Golf Gal also astutely observed that the victorious Colin Montgomery had put on a few pounds. As far as I'm concerned one thing we don't need is a fuller Monty.

Of Winter Golf & Christmas Trees

Danbury, CT: We got to Richter at 10:00 this morning. The scheduled shotgun was not to be. An overnight temperature of 27°(f), and the resulting frost delay, had us waiting around in our mittens and mufflers for almost an hour. We mulled about, chatting through frosty clouds of frozen breath,till the marshal reluctantly sent us off, around 11, to our respective holes. The tee boxes were still frozen solid. For the first few holes, we drilled our tees into the icy ground with frozen fingers. The sky was an ultra clear winter blue, the sun, very bright and without a ray of warming power. I have to admit, it was beautiful. There's something about winter that's pure and redemptive.

When I got home I was tired. The way you get when you spend hours out playing in the cold. But, I tackled the monumental chore that is my twelve foot Christmas Tree. Each year I cry a little when I see the old ornaments, especially the ones my Mom gave me. And each year I'm amazed at how beautiful the tree ends up looking.

That's after I've complained and whined for a couple of hours about how hard it is to decorate. Yes, complaining is cathartic.

Happy Thanksgiving

It's that quintessentially American, all you can eat holiday; Thanksgiving. The one where we consume three days worth of calories in one meal and reflect on what we're thankful for.

This year, in addition to Health and Happiness, I'm thankful for:

Golf Girl's Diary readers
Golf Girl TV viewers
Golf, the game itself

I'll be back early next week with a new episode of GGTV and lots of good golf stories.

American readers; Have a great holiday. International readers; You don't get a day off, but at least you won't have to go on a major diet come Friday. That's something to be thankful for.

Golf Web Design Job

If you're reading this blog chances are you like golf, and nowadays it seems almost everyone (except me) can design a website.

If you know how to design websites, and you're open to freelance work, this job might be of interest.

Dubai is Hot - Literally, and as a Golf Destination

Dubai has been on my golf radar (golfdar) for quite a while now. In fact, I've posted about the land sometimes known as "the Arabian desert playground" a number of times.

I've gotten to know more about it lately through a couple of blogger friends, who live, work, blog and play golf there, and really enjoy the vibrant, cosmopolitan lifestyle.

Dubai is a 21st century boom town... the fastest growing city on earth... with a major commitment to golf, both recreational and professional. This has led to the development of awesome golf communities, amazing golf courses and very significant golf tournaments.

Today's announcement unveiling The European Tour's Race to Dubai and a new tournament, The Dubai World Championship, was reported everywhere, from golf and sports blogs to financial news networks to the international press at large. This is big international golf news because the The Dubai World Championship, with a $10,000,000 prize fund is currently the "world’s richest golf tournament", and The European Tour, with major support from Dubai-based Leisurecorp, is making a solid statement about its global golf ambitions.

There's already speculation about whether Tiger will be tempted by this glittery golf event, but most feel he's simply too busy to fit it into his schedule.

The Race to Dubai is still a couple of years away, however, it was announced today that one famous American golfer will be heading over to the Arabian sands in early December. That would be Natalie Gulbis. The awesome golf girl just posted a blog about her exciting ADT championship playing side by side with Lorena Ochoa this past weekend, and now she'll be joining Annika Sorenstam, Laura Davies and other top players at the Dubai Ladies Masters, December 13 - 16.

And I'm really hoping she blogs about it.

GGTV Episode V - Jim Thorpe's Putting Party

Click to Play

Today's episode comes to you from Foxwoods. I show you around this beautiful resort and take you along to a putting party with legendary golfer, Jim Thorpe.

Site Links: Foxwoods Resort & Casino, --- Lake of Isles, --- Jim Thorpe --- Champion's Tour

(updated) Golf Girl TV Episode V - It's Almost Ready

In response to all the emails I've received on the subject of when: ...By the end of the day today...I promise!!!

Update: In the meantime check out Oobgolf's fun interview with splendid golf girl, Anna Rawson!

John Daly and National Public Radio

I know. You don't even think of JD and NPR existing in the same universe, right? I mean, the one is frequently described as a womanising, twinkie eating, trailer trashy good old boy, and the other is often written about as a last bastion for urban intellectualism, and left leaning political correctness.

Well, as divergent as those two entities may sound, they'll collaborate tomorrow on NPR's Fresh Air where Long John will discuss his new book, "Golf My Own Damn Way". Mr. Daly, don't forget, is already a best selling author, thus a logical subject for this type of literary gab fest.

I'm looking forward to hearing this interchange between the self described "bad boy" and quintescential NPR host Terry Gross. The broadcast was originally due to air on the 12th but was pushed off the roster by the death of another hard drinking author of best sellers, Norman Mailer.

BTW - I have no such excuse for the delay in posting my new show. I just have too much going on and too much footage to edit. I'm hoping to have episode V for you tomorrow.

A New Episode of Golf Girl TV ?

Yes, she speaks the truth. The new show is almost done and it's going to be a good one. I got together with a true golf champion over the weekend... and had to include that in the show...Hope to have it posted by late Tuesday/early Wednesday. Keep your fingers crossed.

Paula Creamer Wins - Pink Golf Balls Benefit

Sales of pink golf balls will undoubtedly soar on the heels of Paula Creamer's Tournament of Champions victory yesterday. She won by eight strokes against a field of the world's top female golfers, by playing stellar golf and dominating throughout the tournament. And this was her first victory with a pink golf ball. Oh, she plays with them often, and even touts their virtues in an ultra-cute ad with Nick Price, but all her victories have been with white balls. Till now.

Paula seems quite pleased with this little detail, and I'm thinking this might drive a trend towards pros playing with balls of diverse colors. Maybe the guys will even get into the act. The traditionalists will never go for it... I know that... but I'm just waiting for Ian Poulter to choose his color. And I'm sort of hoping it'll be lavender.

Paula Creamer On Fire

The "Pink Panther" is looking nothing short of incendiary at the LPGA Tournament of Champions.

After ending Thursday's round with seven straight birdies, Paula Creamer kept the heat on today with a bogey-less seven-under 65, finishing round two up by five strokes.

There's still a lot of golf left in this tournament..nothing's decided... but Paula, and her many fans, must be feeling pretty good tonight.

Trend Watch - Golf Girl Calendar Cover Up

It's a definite trend in Golf Girl calendar couture. Let's call it "classy is the new trashy". Of course it all depends on how you define classy... and what exactly is meant by trashy. But clearly, something's going on. Everyone's covering up! A few days ago I reported on Natalie Gulbis's rejection of the skimpy swimsuit in favor of "sportier" attire. The "rebranding" has since been denied...sort of.

Then recently I read a post in the always entertaining GolfNow blog, that led me to another post in the ever alluring Golf Babes blog, that presented the 2008 Golf Digest World Ladies Calendar. ...And everyone's pretty much fully clothed, which hasn't always been the case with some of these gorgeous golfers.

Perhaps we can blame this trend on the economy. There's a long-standing theory that skirt length is linked to booms in a country's wealth: the better the economy, the shorter the skirt, and vice verse. Mightn't this be extended to the briefness of calendar girl's attire? If so, I think this particular economic indicator is telling us we're in for a bearish 2008...as opposed to a bareish one.

Sporty Sarkozy Looking for a Golf Date?

There was speculation in the media that newly elected, newly divorced French President, Nicholas Sarkozy would bring a date to dinner at the White House last night. I don't know how that rumor got started but I assure you it had nothing to do with me. I did have dinner with a French guy named Nicholas last night, but sadly, the Nick I dined with is not President of France, cause if he was, I would be France's first lady and that would be awesome!

In the end President Sarkozy arrived alone at the "Maison Blanche", but it seems he quickly made friends beginning with his flattering pro-American toast at the start of the evening. And it just went uphill from there. They say he dazzled congress today, and I hear they've even put french fries back on all the DC menus, but what I'm really curious about (as I tend to wonder about such things) is... does he play golf? He's ultra sporty and seems to have a fondness for Lacoste polo shirts (who doesn't) but I've found no reference to a Sarko handicap...no photos of him a golf cart or on the greens. I'm definitely going to look into it though. I know at least one single golf girl who'd love to be a first lady.

Top Left - You'll Find Me There

A new golf magazine has just made its debut...It's called Top Left and it's dedicated to the pure enjoyment of golf.

And guess what? I'll be in each issue going forward, with my column, "Cut Shot Chronicles". You see, the cut shot is all about avoiding obstacles, and I’m all about not letting anything get in the way of having an awesome time with golf, so that’s what I’ll be writing about.

Top Left is going to focus on the culture and lifestyle of golf. The editorial staff is young and hip and passionate about the game. They're based in the Top Left hand corner of the US (since you were probably wondering about the name) but in addition to the unique courses and resorts of the Pacific NW, they'll be bringing you stories from all kinds of golf destinations across the country and around the world. There'll also be interviews and profiles, featuring some of the greatest professional golfers of our time...AND the latest golf gear... AND the trendiest golf fashion... AND the quirkiest, funniest golf humor you can swing a seven iron at.

So if you're into the pure enjoyment of golf, you've got to join me at Top Left.

Golf Girls and Their High Standards

I visit Waggle Room very regularly. Often several times a day, in fact.

The prolific and perceptive posts of Mr. Mulligan Stu, keep me up-to-date on all the major happenings in golf, as well as many of the more obscure, anecdotal stories. Additionally, though I'm not fond of statistics, this writer knows how to analyse and present them in interesting, thought provoking ways. He did so yesterday with this post on The LPGA Tour's eligibility requirements for Hall of Fame membership.

My recent post on Hall of Fame golfer Pak Se-ri, generated quite a passionate response, and I've got to admit that I really wasn't very familiar with the LPGA requirements. Seeing them put into perspective in Waggle Room gives additional insight into the reactions of my readers.

Blog on Mr. Mulligan Stu!

Talent and Beauty and Women and Golf

Just yesterday I posted on the changing image of Natalie Gulbis. That post generated quite a bit of commentary on female golfers using their looks in marketing. Then today I came upon this interesting article about an ultra-elite female golfer and how her looks have affected the way she's perceived, and undoubtedly, her own self-image.

The article, an interview with LPGA Hall of Fame golfer Pak Se-ri, appeared in Korea's The Chosun Ilbo, a couple of weeks ago, just prior to the Samsung World Championship. The talented 29-year-old Korean revealed that when when she started to play in the LPGA a decade ago, people gossiped about her being ugly... and that now they say she looks prettier, and seem to speculate she's had work done "on her jaw, her nose, here and there". She admitted she had had eyelid surgery to correct an eye problem that interfered with her playing, but says that's the extent of it. She laughed off the speculation and said, "I try to remember that all the gossip just means that I've become prettier, and not get offended by it." then added, "And if I really tried to fix my face, I'd make me look much better than I do now!" That's a refreshing attitude, isn't it?

What all of this brings to light however, is that women golfers face an additional pressure, beyond that of playing golf at their highest possible level, and that is; how much attention should I give to my looks, when those looks are going to make such a significant difference in the amount of money I'm able to make in my career? Men face no such decision. There just isn't a high enough value placed and a man's looks to have them make a significant difference in his earning potential.

I agree with some of my readers though; if a man's physical appearance did have the same impact on his earnings as a woman's has on hers, there would be a lot of guys, at all different levels of golf, who would be shamelessly working that angle to the max.

The Rebranding of Natalie Gulbis

There's a makeover in the works for the "NG" brand.

This will not be welcome news to the legions of gentlemen who've coveted the provocative Natalie Gulbis calendars of the past several years, nor to those who carefully craft slide shows of Natalie bikini shots. You see, the idea behind this rebranding is to take control of an image that has become more about sexiness and glamour and less about sportiness and golf.

A Richmond VA branding agency, Circle S Studio, is working with Gulbis' sports-marketing firm, Octagon, to reposition the gifted golfer, and the shift would turn the perception of Natalie Gulbis as "swimsuit-model-for-men" to that of "role-model-for women". The repositioning is already evident in the her 2008 calendar and day planner which, as was reported earlier this month, is far less revealing and far more golf oriented than in past years.

Natalie Gulbis has now earned her first LPGA tour title (the Evian Masters) thus banishing the "sexy but winless" aura that had dogged her for quite a while. This would certainly be a logical time for her to take her brand in a new direction if that's what she wants to do. That said, I've no doubt that with her good looks and friendly, accessible personality, she'll continue attract the attention of most her current fans.